How I Met Your Mother: 5 Characters We’d Want To Be Friends With (& 5 We Wouldn’t)
The characters from How I Met Your Mother are a big reason why the sitcom became so popular. Both the main gang and the supporting players provide countless laughs throughout the nine seasons of the show. And besides a few exceptions, most of them are beloved by the fans. However, as with most comedies, the characters aren't always kind-hearted and well-adjusted people. Sometimes they need to be a little mean-spirited or even unhinged for the sake of humor.
This isn't a major problem because they're characters in a TV show. But if they were real people with the same personalities and attitudes, would they all be as popular?
10 Want: Barney
Barney isn't the perfect human being as he does plenty of awful things throughout the show. However, it's rare for his friends to be the victims of his misdeeds. He actually treats those closest to him pretty well, like when he brings Lily and Marshall back together or when he makes Robin's video resume.
Plus, as Ted points out in the first season, Barney is a great buddy to have as he's the cause of many of the gang's most exciting adventures. They certainly wouldn't go to the iconic Robots vs. Wrestlers event without Barney's encouragement.
9 Wouldn't Want: Robin
Robin is a lone wolf at heart. She doesn’t open up easily, nor does she go out of her way to help those close to her in the same way that Ted and Barney do. Not to mention, she tends to drift away from her friends, usually in pursuit of her career goals.
So, at times, it would be difficult to maintain a friendship with Robin. Most of the blame for that should be directed towards her father and difficult childhood.
8 Want: Ted
Despite being the main character of the series, Ted is not always a fan favorite. It's easy to see why, as he has as many bad traits as good. Yet, his loyalty to his friends can't be questioned.
He's always there when they need him and ready to assist with any problem. In fact, throughout the show, he helps each member of the gang on numerous occasions. Having a friend whom one can depend on is a wonderful thing.
7 Wouldn't Want: Klaus
Klaus is the guy who Victoria almost marries in season 7. He seems a decent and friendly person, but he has no sense of boundaries.
The man happily moves in with Victoria and Ted's — his ex and her new boyfriend — without much hesitation. What's more, he brings his ferrets with him and often walks around the apartment naked. He doesn't even really know Ted when he moves in, so imagine how (too) comfortable he is with friends.
6 Want: Tracy
Despite only entering the show for the last season — discounting the single shot of her in season 8 — Tracy quickly establishes herself as one of the most likable characters in the series.
One of the main reasons it's easy to appreciate her is because she's very kind. This woman is a stranger when she meets every member of the gang, yet she helps each of them in major ways. If she's willing to assist strangers like that, then it's safe to say she does everything she can for her friends.
5 Wouldn't Want: Darren
There are plenty of things wrong with season 9, and Darren is one of them. This guy is a member of Tracy's wedding band and an all-around jerk. Not only does he try to kick Tracy out of her own band, but he's a sociopath who likes to stir up trouble.
His typical goal is to turn friends against each other, avoiding the blame in the process. Any friendship group he enters would be filled with bickering and in-fighting within a week.
4 Want: Patrice
Not only is Patrice one of the show's best recurring characters, but she's also incredibly wholesome. She always has a smile on her face and lights up every room she enters.
Unfortunately, she's often screamed at by Robin. But it doesn't seem to affect her, as Patrice always maintains her positive attitude and treats everyone kindly, even the person yelling at her. For everyone except Robin, Patrice would be a fantastic friend. She'll always be there to land a hand and her upbeat nature will be contagious.
3 Wouldn't Want: Karen
Ted has both likable and hateable girlfriends during the show, and Karen certainly falls into the latter category. She's manipulative, pretentious, and incredibly judgmental. Being friends with her must be hell. Just ask Marshall and Lily, who had to suffer through her company when Ted dated her in college.
She probably spent most of the time judging the future married couple for not liking the exact same things as her. The woman doesn't even treat Ted with respect as she cheats on him multiple times.
2 Want: Marshall
Out of the main gang, Marshall is arguably the most honorable. He doesn't have a long list of misdeeds like the others, and when he does do something wrong, it's usually minor.
His kind heart, however, is only one reason why he'd make a good friend. He's also very entertaining. With his witty comments and fun-loving nature, he'd make even the most mundane activities exciting. Plus, as he has a bunch of crazy superstitions, conversations with him would be compelling.
1 Wouldn't Want: Lily
Overall, Lily is a good person, and she ranks among the funniest characters in the show. Alas, she does have some major flaws that would make it hard to be her friend. Primarily, she is manipulative and judgmental.
One of the best examples of this is how she ruins almost all of Ted's romantic relationships because she doesn't think the person he's with is the right fit. There's also the time she forces Barney and Robin to talk about their relationship before they're comfortable doing so. It would be incredibly annoying to have a friend meddle in one's personal life to that degree.